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Live updates | WHO official says Gaza hospital situation ‘catastrophic’

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

A top World Health Organization official described the hospital situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” on Monday, saying most are no longer functioning and what remains will likely be overwhelmed by thousands of births expected in the next month.The United Nations briefing came hours after a shell struck the second floor of a hospital in northern Gaza, killing 12 people, according to the Hamas-led Health Ministry and a medical worker. The ministry and the worker both blamed Israel, which denied shelling the hospital.Heavy fighting broke out around the Indonesian Hospital, which has housed thousands of patients and displaced people for weeks.The fighting came a day after the World Health Organization evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territory’s largest, where they were among more than 250 critically ill or wounded patients stranded there days after Israeli forces entered the compound.Israel says Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as shields, while crit...

Business Highlights: Turmoil at company behind ChatGPT; CEO of GM’s Cruise unit resigns

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

___Company that created ChatGPT is thrown into turmoil after Microsoft hires its ousted CEOSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The company that created ChatGPT is in turmoil after Microsoft hired its ousted CEO and many more employees threatened to follow him in a conflict that centered in part on the safest way to build artificial intelligence. The developments followed a weekend of drama that shocked the AI field and fueled speculation about the future of OpenAI. The startup’s new CEO vowed to investigate the firing of co-founder and CEO Sam Altman. He’s been instrumental in OpenAI’s transformation from a nonprofit research laboratory into a world-renowned commercial startup that inaugurated the era of generative artificial intelligence. Microsoft announced that Altman and OpenAI’s former president, Greg Brockman, would lead its new advanced AI research team.___Key Fed official sees possible ‘golden path’ toward lower inflation without a recessionWASHINGTON (AP) — Austan Goolsbee, president of t...

Titans hoping being home for stretch run helps salvage season

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The best thing the Tennessee Titans have going for them right now might be their schedule.They finally get to stay home for five of the seven games remaining where the Titans have been a completely different team, even if it’s still not enough to salvage this season.The Titans (3-7) have lost three straight, five of their past six and set a Tennessee-era mark for consecutive road losses at nine. They haven’t won away from Nashville in more than a year and lost their sixth straight road game this season, 34-14 in Jacksonville. Mike Vrabel, the AP NFL Coach of the Year for the 2021 season, said Monday he wishes they were winning. “I’m not going to compromise the things that I believe that are going to help us win and about the details and about the little things and not letting those slide and doing my best to hold everybody accountable, including myself, as we go through this,” Vrabel said. Vrabel had a winning record each of his first four s...

Italy qualifies for Euro 2024 and avoids playoffs. Slovenia and Czech Republic advance too

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Italy earned some redemption by qualifying for next year’s European Championship on Monday, while Slovenia and the Czech Republic also secured their spots.Italy needed just a point against Ukraine to claim second spot in Group C and avoid the dreaded playoffs, and it managed a 0-0 draw in Germany. However, there were some nervy moments for the Azzurri, who rode their luck.Italy failed to qualify for the past two World Cups after losing playoffs — to Sweden and North Macedonia. After the Azzurri missed out on the 2018 World Cup, they went on to win the following European Championship.Ukraine would have sneaked past Italy with a win but will now head into the playoffs. England was already assured of top spot in the group and it drew at North Macedonia 1-1 to finish the campaign unbeaten.A point would also have been enough for Slovenia and the Czech Republic to advance to Euro 2024 and they beat Kazakhstan and Moldova respectively to end their opponents’ hopes of qualifyin...

How much would DC-area homebuyers need to budget after verdict on real estate commissions?

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

Real estate commissions have been at the center of a nationwide legal debate about how much agents should be paid in commissions and who is responsible for paying.A federal jury finding in late October was among those that charged the National Association of Realtors, or NAR, and major real estate brokerages, with artificially inflating real estate agent commissions. But it isn’t the only case with the potential to shift the homebuying process.At least two court cases currently being worked out, one of which is a class-action lawsuit that could net billions for members, could significantly upend long-standing industry practices, The Associated Press reported.“Today, what effectively happens is the buyer agent’s commissions are added to the sale price of the house, inflating the sale price. If sellers no longer had to pay the buyer agents, there wouldn’t be that inflation and buyers could negotiate the commission down and they would end up paying less money,” Brobeck told...

An undermanned defense is somehow keeping the Rams in the playoff race

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams are only on the fringe of the NFC playoff race, and they would need a spectacular finish just to avoid their second straight losing season.The fact that the rebuilding Rams (4-6) even have a chance at such a surge is a testament to the remarkable work done by their defense, which has overperformed this season after a massive roster purge.Coordinator Raheem Morris’ unit had another outstanding outing Sunday in Los Angeles’ 17-16 comeback victory. The Rams allowed 87 yards and just four first downs in Seattle’s three-point second half, and LA kept the Seahawks out of the end zone for the final 50 minutes.Matthew Stafford’s offense finally scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and the Rams won when Seattle missed a 55-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. Everybody knew which unit got the job done for LA.“Unbelievable effort by our defense today,” coach Sean McVay said. “They kept us in the game. I think the grit...

FinVolution: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

SHANGHAI (AP) — SHANGHAI (AP) — FinVolution Group (FINV) on Monday reported profit of $77.6 million in its third quarter.The Shanghai-based company said it had profit of 28 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, were 30 cents per share.The online consumer finance marketplace provider posted revenue of $438.3 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on FINV at https://www.zacks.com/ap/FINVSource

A$AP Rocky must stand trial on charges he fired gun at former friend, judge rules

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021. Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar made the ruling at at a preliminary hearing, after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony. Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.The 35-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and two-time Grammy nominee is in a relationship with Rihanna, with whom he has two young sons.Villar said “the totality of the video and testimony” shows there is sufficient evidence for the defendant to go to trial. She emphasized that preliminary hearings have a much lower evidence standard than a trial.Rocky, sitting in the courtroom, showed no visible reaction.“We’re not disappointed, not surprised, we expected to go to trial, we’ve been planning for trial all along,” Rocky’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, sa...

Packers sign Patrick Taylor off Patriots practice squad, release Dallin Leavitt

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers boosted their running back depth by welcoming back a couple of familiar players, as they signed Patrick Taylor off the New England Patriots’ practice squad and added James Robinson to their practice squad.Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced both moves Monday. The Packers also released safety Dallin Leavitt, who had been on their active roster and dropped linebacker Christian Young from their practice squad.Taylor played 27 regular-season games for the Packers from 2021-23, including four this season. The 25-year-old Taylor had 44 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown over those three seasons.Robinson, 25, had joined the Packers’ practice squad on Oct. 17, but was released about three weeks later. Robinson had his greatest pro success as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, when he rushed for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns.Two of Green Bay’s three running backs got injured in the Packers’ 23-20 victory over the L...

England completes unbeaten Euro 2024 qualifying campaign by drawing at North Macedonia

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:16:01 GMT

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — England completed an unbeaten qualifying campaign for the European Championship by drawing at North Macedonia 1-1 on Monday, with Harry Kane forcing an equalizer via an own-goal just seconds after coming on as a substitute.Kane entered in the 58th minute and his first action was to challenge Jani Atanasov at a corner swung in by Phil Foden. The ball struck the North Macedonia midfielder and rebounded into the net.“I came on at the right time,” Kane, England’s record scorer with 62 goals, said with a smile. “It was good to get on the pitch. I always want to help the team out, whether it’s for 90 minutes or 10 minutes.”The own-goal canceled out the opener from Enis Bardhi, who tucked away a rebound after his penalty was saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 41st minute.The spot kick was awarded when Rico Lewis, the Manchester City defender making his England debut, was adjudged to have struck Bojan Miovski in the face with his hand as ...